Federal Workers Owe $1.3 Billion in Taxes

Some 98,000 federal workers, including those in Congress, the postal service, military and the executive branch, owed $1.3 billion in back taxes in 2010. While the number of employees owing back taxes dropped from 2009, the amount owed was up by $32 million, The Washington Post’s blog the Federal Eye reported.

 

Congressional Republicans have introduced legislation that would authorize the firing of employees owing taxes under certain circumstances. However, those in Congress are not immune. According to IRS statistics, about 4 percent — or 684 employees — of the 18,000 congressional staffers, are in arrears, owing $10.6 million, the Post reported.

 

Of the 1,800 workers in the Executive Office of the President, just 36 employees out of 1,800, or 2 percent, owe just over $800,000. Civilian employees of the Defense Department were the worst with some 25,000 owing $225 million, and of those in the military 2 percent of active duty and 2 percent of reservists owed nearly $340 million, according to the Post.

 

Over at the Treasury Department — which includes the IRS — less than 1 percent owed back taxes. Comparatively, Americans in general were $114.2 billion in arrears, the Post reported.